Seven days, then the garage or the tow yard
Hickory Hills packs two short deadlines into one section of its code. A car without current state registration can sit outside for seven days and no longer. A car that can’t be driven, or has been stripped or partly disassembled, isn’t supposed to be outside an enclosed garage at all, and the city can tow it after seven days in public view.
Plenty of people only find out when the registration lapses on a car they meant to fix “next month.” If that’s you, getting a quote now costs nothing and gives you a clear option before a notice shows up.
Pickup on paved drives
The city cares about where cars sit, not just how long. Vehicles may only be parked on paved surfaces, not on the parkway, and stone driveways are prohibited (an existing single-family stone drive can stay until a year after the house sells). So in most cases the car we collect is on concrete or asphalt in front of the garage, which makes for a simple hookup.
The city sits on the hilly Tinley Moraine, so some drives slope. If yours is steep, or the car is tucked behind the house, tell us when you call and we’ll plan the approach. The tow itself is free.
Street rules that catch stalled cars
Leave a dead car at the curb and two rules come into play quickly. Nobody may park on a city street between 2:00 and 6:00 a.m., and once 2.5 inches of snow piles up, nobody can park on a street until it’s cleared. In parts of the city north of 95th Street the code also governs alley parking, which must leave 10 feet clear.
Missing title?
That’s common with cars that sat for years. Let us know which documents you still have, such as a registration card, a past bill of sale or an insurance card, and bring photo ID; Illinois rules govern which of these can support a scrap sale, and we’ll go over it before booking. If you’d rather replace the title first, our lost Illinois title guide walks through the duplicate process. Either way, you’re paid at pickup.
West and south of the city we also cover Palos Hills and Willow Springs, plus Justice to the north. The full service area list has the rest.
Selling a car in Hickory Hills: common questions
How long can an unregistered car sit in my Hickory Hills driveway?
Seven days at most, unless it's parked inside an enclosed garage. If the car also can't be driven, is stripped or is partly taken apart, § 30.21(c) says it belongs in a garage, and the city can tow one left in public view after 7 days.
Do I have to deal with a city sticker before selling my car in Hickory Hills?
Usually not. Hickory Hills doesn't require vehicle stickers on passenger cars, only on commercial vehicles and trucks. If your junk vehicle is a commercial truck with a city sticker, mention it when you call.